Clinical Indicators

The rate of unplanned readmissions provides an indication of the effectiveness of our planning processes, for when people are discharged from hospital.

The graph below shows the number of patients that were re-admitted to Healthwoods within 28 days of discharge from hospital, with a diagnosis related to the same condition as the original admission. Healthwoods' rate is lower (better) than the industry average.

Day surgery is generally associated with minor procedures with the intention of being discharged on the same day. On occasion patients may require a transfer to a general hospital and/or overnight admission for specialised care which may be due to complications, patients’ pre-existing diseases or conditions and the nature of the disease or condition being treated. Healthwoods Endoscopy Centre's rate is lower (better) than the industry average.

Healthwoods Endoscopy Centre's doctors undertake surgery in many specialty areas, which range from minor procedures to more complex day surgery requiring specialised treatment. We monitor our patient outcomes by comparing any unplanned returns to the operating theatre during the same day as the initial procedure to other Australian hospitals nationally. The aim is to reduce returns to the operating theatre where possible; however there are many factors which influence this, and in some cases it is necessary to have further surgery to save a life.

Unplanned returns to the operating theatre during the same day are frequently due to complications, for example to treat bleeding or other problems occurring early after the operation. Some complications following surgery are to be expected due to patients’ pre-existing diseases or conditions and the nature of the disease or condition being treated. Unplanned returns to the operating theatre are reported and clinical outcomes analysed. Recommendations are actioned and monitored to ensure improvements are made where possible.

The graph below shows the number of patients who had a surgical procedure or operation and required an unplanned return for further surgery during on the same day as the initial procedure. Healthwoods Endoscopy Centre's rate is lower (better) than the industry average.

A fall in a hospital is when a patient suddenly and unintentionally falls to the ground. This can happen in a hospital setting for a number of reasons, such as a change in medication, the after effects of an anaesthetic, or just because the surroundings are unfamiliar. Falls can injure patients and affect their recovery and independence.

This graph below shows the number of patients that sustain a fall that caused an injury as a percentage of total patient bed-days (the number of days that all patients spend in hospital). Healthwoods Endoscopy Centre achieves a lower rate (better) than the industry average.

We achieve a lower rate through our established Falls Prevention and Management Program and an electronic Incident/Risk Management and Reporting System. A variety of best practice tools and prevention intervention guidelines are utilised to identify those patients/consumers at high risk of having a fall.

Hand hygiene (or hand washing) is one of the best ways to stop infections so, as a priority, we educate and train all caregivers in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) “five moments” for hand hygiene. We also audit our staff and provide our results to the National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) to compare us against other hospitals.

Healthwoods Endoscopy Centre ranks higher than national targets for hand hygiene. Our auditors complete compliance audits on a regular basis and submit data three times a year. We also participate in the national hand hygiene strategy to continually improve our rates.